Education Commons^™

Does Teacher Efficacy Predict Writing Practices Of Teachers Of Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Students, Steve Graham, Kimberly A. Wolbers, Hannah Dostal, Leala Holcomb

Theory and Practice in Teacher Education Publications and Other Works

Forty-four elementary grade teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students were surveyed about how they taught writing and their beliefs about writing. Beliefs about writing included their efficacy to teach writing, attitude towards writing, and epistemological beliefs about writing. These teachers from 15 different states in the United States slightly agreed they were efficacious writing teachers and they were slightly positive about their writing. They slightly agreed that learning to write involves effort and process, moderately disagreed that writing development is innate or fixed, slightly disagreed that knowledge about writing is certain, and were equally split about whether writing …

The Challenge Of Counseling Research In Developing A Signature Pedagogy For Quantitative Methods, Richard S. Balkin

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

Research in counseling is at risk of becoming impertinent, if not irrelevant, with an over-emphasis on perceptions of counselors or counselors in-training, and a lack of evidence supporting client-centered outcomes and community needs. Students seeking doctoral degrees in training may have limited interest in research, and research courses are typically taught outside of the discipline by individuals unaffiliated with the counseling profession. Research courses may not be aligned with the needs of counseling researchers who focus on individuals and small groups. Developing a signature pedagogy emphasizing tools and methods consistent with the needs of emerging counseling researchers may be important …

Enriching Teacher Self-Efficacy Through A Support Centric Evaluation Model: A Mixed Methods Study Of Team's Impact On Teacher Self-Efficacy, Elizabeth Marie Norton

Doctoral Dissertations

The effectiveness of teacher evaluation systems is determined by the extent to which they can support improved instructional practice. Research suggests that implementation factors such as attitudes of school leaders (Kimball & Milanowski, 2009), perceptions of fairness (Delvaux, Vanhoof, Tuytens, Vekeman, Devos, & Petegem, 2013), the relationship of the evaluator and the teacher (Weber, 1987), and the quality of the feedback provided can all impact the effectiveness of the evaluation system (Conly & Glasman, 2008; Danielson, 2012; Delvaux et al., 2013; Weber, 1987). This mixed methods study attempted to determine the extent to which these implementation characteristics occurring within the …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Environmentally Sustainable Practices In Municipal Government: A Case Study Of The City Of Knoxville’S Department Of Parks And Recreation, Anthony Michael Brown

Masters Theses

Sustainability practices produce programs and services that meet current needs while preserving the environment and natural resources for the future. City parks and recreation departments are facing budget shortfalls and increasing expectations from customers. Governments are now embracing sustainability practices to create financial savings while also fostering relations with customers.

The purpose of this single case study was twofold: (1) to examine the effectiveness of one city department’s strategies in outsourcing its environmental sustainability program through a performance contract with Ameresco; and (2) to examine the perceptions of key department employees about the effectiveness of the sustainability initiative. A …

The Enduring Effects Of Early Literacy Experiences: A Retrospective Interview Study, Karen Suzanne Sigmon Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

This qualitative interview study was designed to understand how early literacy experiences continue to influence individuals as they become adult readers. The study utilized a case study methodology that allowed detailed descriptions of participants’ recollections of early literacy experiences and descriptions of the participants’ current reading habits.

The researcher, working from a constructivist paradigm, worked to find evidence to explore what features of early reading experiences might compel an individual to turn to reading again and again, or to choose to abstain from reading. The following research questions guided this study: “What specific memories do adult readers recall …